7th grade Chinese students' reading motivation in Taiwan.

Abstract

This dissertation study investigated seventh-grade Chinese students' reading motivation in Taiwan. The mix-method triangulation research design was employed to find answers to the study's questions. A total of 247 seventh-grade Chinese students (122 boys and 125 girls) provided the quantitative data by completing a modified Chinese Motivation Research Questionnaire (MRQ). Eight high reading achievement students and eight low reading achievement students were purposefully selected to participate in the semi-structured interviews to provide in-depth qualitative data. Qualitative data included observations conducted during the reading classes and the afterschool programs. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarize the quantitative results. Content analyses using the constant comparative method led to the identification of important themes related to Chinese seventh-grade students' motivation to read.

The results showed that Chinese students, like their western counterparts, were motivated to read if they were presented with materials matching their personal interests and choices. When compared with low reading achievement students, high reading achievement students were found to place greater value on grades and social recognition. They also had stronger self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation. The results also suggested that external social and cultural factors impacted the students' motivation to read. In particular, teachers' and parents' expectations strongly influenced the students' motivation to read. The study has important implications for Chinese reading instruction. Chinese reading teachers should de-emphasize reading for grades and external factors. They should adopt instruction practices that promote intrinsic motivation and develop lifelong engaged readers who truly love reading.